At this moment the whole world seemed to be quiet. It was just about them. There was not only lust between them, but pure love. Melisande smiled lightly into the kiss. Strains of her blonde hair had fallen into the blood. They broke the kiss. "What did I deserve this for?", she asked Alcina, her voice being as sweet as chocolate. The lady laughed lightly. "You saved my life and although you do not know me very well, you are ready to kill a powerful witch for me. Is this not enough reason to kiss you?" Melisande smiled mysteriously, which made Alcina ask herself if she was hiding a secret. "I love your mysterious smile.", she admitted, leaning forward to lick the blood from her cheeks that her bloody hands had left there. "Join me." she whispered in an alluring voice, watching Melisande straighten up, her hair dripping with blood. She undressed slowly, being well aware of Alcina watching closely. She folded her dress, turned around and slowly stepped into the blood, looking Alcina directly in her golden eyes. Gracefully she made her way through the thick blood, approaching Alcina.

"This is not your first time bathing in blood, is it?"Alcina slightly grabbed Melisande's hips, pulling her closer. She received a smile from her maiden, who closed her arms around her neck. "You must be hungry.", she said, leaning her head to the side, inviting Alcina to take a sip of her blood. With her hand the lady slowly stroked over the skin at her neck, leaving traces of blood on her pale skin. "Are you sure? I may not be able to stop.", she asked, smiling lightly. "I am no human. I will not pass out from blood loss." Alcina chuckled at this answer, leaning forward.

She sighted enjoying when the first drops of blood touched her lips, pulling her closer. Melisande just smiled at her thirst, stroking through the raven black hair of the Countess. "Very good, Alcina. Just like that. Drink as much as your heart desires." And Alcina did exactly that, sighting in pleasure when she felt the witch's blood flowing through her body, healing its wounds within. Her blood was powerful, relieving not only her thirst for blood, but all her needs, making her realise that she would never be able to enjoy any blood as good as hers. It was this flavor. Tasting like a flower... tasking a bit like honey.

Alicna forced herself to stop drinking. She could feel her pain faiting away. She wiped away the blood from her lips. "Thank you, dearest." Melisande chuckled when she saw the red colour on the Countesses' cheek bones. Her response was to take Alcinas face in her hands and to place a very light, soft kiss on her bloody lips and although their lips barely touched, the lady thought she would lose her mind.

When they parted, Alcina buried her hand in Melisande's hair, holding her close for a moment. Both of them closed their eyes, the tips of their noses were touching and the whole world went silent just for this moment. 'I behave like a young adult, who is falling in love for the first time.', Alcina thought and smiled, 'But I like it.' With her free hand, Alcina lightly touched Melisande's belly, making her fingers dance upwards and downwards. She smiled even more before leaning back again. Melisande let herself slide into Alcinas arms, placing her head on the lady's shoulder. The Countess closed her arm around Melisande, watching her get relaxed in her arms, feeling comfortable. Alcina brushed with her hand over Melisande's cheek, just enjoying the feeling of her nude body pressing against hers.

"There is something I should tell you.", Alcina said with a voice as smooth as dark chocolate. "Tell me.", Melisande said, purring like a cat at the lady's touches. Alicna turned her head a bit, so her lips were a bit over Melisande's ears. With a smile on her face she said: "Your little one survived. I can feel it's presence." Immediately Melisande straightened herself, placing a hand on her belly, looking into Alcinas eyes in surprise. "Really?", she whispered with a bit of disbelief. Alcina nodded and smiled. She always wanted to be pregnant herself, but the Cadou within her made it nearly impossible and when she was still human, she unfortunately never found the right men to get children with. Of course she was a happy mother and she felt the deepest of love for each of her daughter's, but she was very curious how it must be, feeling a little being growing within your body, being a part of you. Must feel magical. She imagined it like a flower, that you watch grow stronger and stronger with every day that passes and when the final day arrives it starts to bloom and you as a mother are a part of that blooming.

She watched Melisande closely as she began to realize that she was indeed pregnant, that this child had survived not only the stress and panic of it's mother losing her other children, but the fact that it's mother nearly died from a dangerous disease. "Oh my...", she said, covering her face with her hands, crying tears of joy. Alcina was very happy too, because this was her opportunity to watch a little life grow and although it was not her child, she already loved it, because - and she had to admit it - she loved Melisande with every fiber of her heart.

When the sun of the next day sent her light through the windows of Castle Dimitrescu Melisande was already up, giving orders to her maidens and preparing everything for the breakfast and went down to the dungeons to get a bottle of wine for the Countess and her daughters.

They stayed long in the bathhouse the evening before, just enjoying each other's company. Melisande smiled when she remembered Alcina asking: "Will you and your baby stay here?" Of course she would. Melisande knew her child was safe here and for Mother Miranda... The witch was not afraid of her, but Miranda's powers were growing, they were crossing a line...

Like every morning, Melisande went upstairs to wake her Countess and to help her get ready for the day. So to say, it was a normal day until...

"Melisande?", the lady called out of her bathroom. The housekeeper looked up and opened the door. Alcina was standing there in her satin robe but it seemed a little... short? Melisande needed a moment to understand the problem. "It seems like you grew?", she asked and a little chuckle escaped her mouth. "That is not funny. I do not fit in any of my dresses. I swear this just happened a few months ago!", she said frustrated stepping out of the bathroom, bending even more at the door. She placed herself on her bed, both arms crossed in front of her chest. "Do me a favor darling and call someone for me.", she picked a little piece of paper and a pen and noted down a number. "I cannot leave my room like this.", she stated. Melisande nodded. "Why did you grow?", she asked, taking the note. "You see my mutation gives me very high regenerative powers and very time I get hurt, this mutation causes me to grow a little more.",Alcina stood and went to her desk, taking her opium pipe and lighting it up. Taking a deep breath, she seemed to calm down. "When you call her, she will probably not answer the phone herself, just talk to anyone who answers and do not ask for herself to take the phone.", she explained and watched Melisande leaving the room.

Melisande called the number on her piece of paper. She waited patiently for someone to answer the phone. She assumed the owner of this number was a bit shy. Finally a voice sounded at the end of the line. "Hello, you are talking to Angie. What do you want from Donna?" It was the voice of a little girl, she sounded a bit snappy and impatient, but Melisande just smiled to herself. A little girl? No, she could feel through the phone that a creature made with magic was talking to her. "Hello Angie. I am sorry to disturb you at this hour. My name is Melisande, I am the housekeeper of house Dimitrescu and I call because Lady Dimitrescu has... grown out of her dresses.", she held back a laugh, but Angie suddenly busted into loud laughter. Melisande held the phone a bit away from her ear. "I see.",the girl chuckled. "What was it this time that made her grow? Did one of her daughter bring a wolf again into the castle that bit her?" Now it was Melisande's turn to laugh a bit. Sounds like Cassandra. "No unfortunately not. Lady Dimitrescu nearly died, because of a wound in her stomach. She was unconscious the last two weeks." Everything went silent for a moment and she could hear a woman cry in the background. "Is she okay now?", the girl asked with a sad and serious voice. "She is.", Melisande assured. "We will be at the castle in about an hour.", the girl's voice said, before she hung up.

A bit confused Melisande went back to Alcinas chambers. She found the Countess sitting in her armchair. One of her gorgeous legs was crossed over the other, the robe was barely long enough to cover the upper part of her thighs. However, she looked more relaxed now and smiled when Melisande entered the room again. "Do me favor.", Melisande said walking up to her, taking her pipe. Alcina was about to complain but stopped when she saw the expression on Melisande's face. "Do not smoke in my presence while I am pregnant." Alcina looked at her for a moment, but she could not fail to notice the begging in her eyes. This child was all she had and she would do anything to protect it. "Of course." She took the pipe out of Melisande's hand and placed it on her desk. "No smoking for me." Melisande smiled. "Thank you." Alcina kneeled down to her height. "Everything for the safety for the both of you.",she gave Melisande a kiss on the forehead. "Well." she said and stood, "For now let's wait for Donna to arrive here."

"Mother?", a voice called from behind the door. "Aunt Donna and Angie are here." It was Daniela. Alcina looked delighted. "She may come in, but ... keep the doll outside.", she commanded. Melisande heard the voice of a girl debating loudly. So it was a doll that talked to her on the phone. It took a while, but when it was quiet, the door opened and a woman came in, wearing a black dress, a black veil that covered her hair and face and black gloves. In her hand she held a black leather bag. "Oh Donna, thank Goddess, you are here. I swear it was not my fault.", Lady Dimitrescu said, but Donna just stared at Melisade like she had just seen a ghost. After a second she bowed down. Alcina looked confused. "You do not have to bow down.", she said and Donna straightened herself, fastly walking to Alcinas desk placing her belongings there, turning her back to Melisande. 'So she knows.', Melisande thought, knowing she had not bowed to Alcina. When a witch was pregnant, she lost a bit of her ability to cover her magic trace, which made it hard for powerful witches to hide, because other beings capable of performing magic will sense it.

Donna did her job well. She measured Alcinas body (she had grown nearly 15 centimeters), took a lot of fabric and the not fitting dresses to make them fit again. When Melisande was walking up to Donna, the woman became a bit stiff. "Do not worry. I just want to ask you something.", she said, sitting down next to the seamstress. "You want to ask me, if I have seen a ruby rose, am I right?" Donna asked with a light, sad voice. Melisande looked at her in surprise. Donna seemed to look at her and with a finger she pointed at Melisade's hands that were not covered. They were blue again. She closed her eyes, hiding her hands under the table. "Have you seen one?" Donna thought about this question for a bit, taking a withe thread. "No, but I can give you one of my red roses, they are believed to be somehow related to the ruby roses and if you feed her with your blood she should bloom like a ruby rose." Melisande was stunned by the fact that this shy little woman knew so much about the ruby roses. "How do you know all of this?"Melisande asked Donna, who folded one of Alcinas dresses, handing it to her. "My mother died from this disease too. She always told me stories of you, Madame.", she admitted, "You taught my mother how to turn spider webs into thread for doll making." Melisande looked at her and carefully reached out for her veil to lift it. Surprisingly, Donna did nothing to stop her. A beautiful woman looked back at her. "You are the daughter of Claudia Beneviento.", Melisande said, letting the veil fall back over her face. Donna nodded, stopped sewing and took Melisande's hands in hers. "Please try to survive. I know the chances are low, but please try. You made my mother so happy with your magic and she even passed it to me.", she stopped for a moment and it seemed like she collected all her courage, "If I can sense your presence and the presence of your child, Mother Miranda can too and although I know who you are I have to beg you to be carefull, because she will kill everyone in her way, Madame, if you give birth to a girl..."